Protective cushion cover for an electronic device

ABSTRACT

A protective case for an electronic device includes an elastomeric cover having a single piece of elastomeric material that conforms to the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the protective case. The cover includes a button actuator to transfer a force applied on an outside surface of the elastomeric cover to a control button of the electronic device inside the elastomeric cover and a front opening in the elastomeric cover that provides access to a touch screen interface of a front of the electronic device. The cover also includes a plurality of recesses formed in at least one interior side surface of the elastomeric cover. The plurality of recesses soften the elastomeric cover in the selected area by reducing an average density of the elastomeric cover in the selected area of the elastomeric cover.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 61/141,097, filed Dec. 29, 2008, and U.S. patent application Ser.No. 12/648,549 filed Dec. 29, 2009 and Ser. No. 14/092,120 filed Nov.27, 2013, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in itsentirety.

BACKGROUND

Numerous different types of electronic devices currently exist forcommunication, entertainment purposes, and other purposes. These includevarious types of computers, including laptop computers, hand-heldcomputers, ultra-mobile computers and tablet computers. In addition,other types of electronic devices include MP3 players that play music,video players, smartphones and other types of communication devices,such as walkie-talkies, and navigation devices, such as GPS devices.These devices often include touch screens, interactive panels including,but not limited to, capacitive coupled interfaces, keyboards, scrollwheels, tilt switches, push button switches and other interactivecontrols. Due to the sensitive nature of these electronic devices, it isdesirable to provide protection for these devices.

SUMMARY

A protective cover for an electronic device can include reducedthickness portions formed from an elastomeric material having apredetermined density and a first predetermined thickness that providesease of use of the electronic device, raised impact portions having asecond predetermined thickness that is greater than the firstpredetermined thickness, the raised impact portions formed from theelastomeric material, ribs disposed between recesses formed in theraised impact portions, the recesses having a size and spacing thatabsorbs shocks from impacts.

A method of protecting an electronic device from impacts can includeproviding a protective cover formed from an elastomeric material thathas a predetermined density; providing reduced thickness portions of theprotective cover that have a first predetermined thickness; providingraised impact portions of the protective cover that have a secondpredetermined thickness that is greater than the first predeterminedthickness; providing recesses in the raised impact portions of theprotective cover that allow the protective cover to compress and absorbimpacts at the raised impact portions.

A protective cover for a handheld electronic device can include anelectronic material having a substantially uniform predeterminedthickness and a predetermined density that allows the elastomericmaterial to substantially conform and surround at least a back portion,end portions and side portions of the electronic device; ribs andrecesses formed in the elastomeric material that have a size and spacingthat substantially absorbs shocks from impact to the protective cover.

A method of protecting a handheld electronic device can includeproviding a protective cushion cover having a predetermined density, apredetermined modulus of elasticity, and a predetermined thickness thatallow the cushion cover to tightly conform to the handheld electronicdevice and provide a slim profile for ease of use of the handheldelectronic device, forming ribs and recesses in the protective cushioncover that have a size and spacing that substantially absorb impactenergy in a manner that is equivalent to thicker, less dense protectivecushion covers.

A protective cover for an electronic device includes an elastomericcover comprising a single piece of elastomeric material that conforms tothe electronic device and forms a continuous perimeter extending aroundand contacting four sides of the electronic device when the electronicdevice is installed in the protective case. The elastomeric coverincludes a button actuator integrally formed in the elastomeric cover totransfer a force applied on an outside surface of the elastomeric coverto a control button of the electronic device inside the elastomericcover. The elastomeric cover also includes a front opening in theelastomeric cover that provides access to a touch screen interface of afront of the electronic device when the electronic device is installedin the protective case. The elastomeric cover also includes a pluralityof recesses formed in at least one interior side surface of theelastomeric cover, the interior surface facing the electronic devicewhen the electronic device is installed in the protective case, whereinthe plurality of recesses soften the elastomeric cover in the selectedarea by reducing an average density of the elastomeric cover in theselected area of the elastomeric cover.

A protective cover for an electronic device includes an elastomericcover comprising a single piece of elastomeric material that conforms tothe electronic device and forms a continuous perimeter extending aroundfour sides of the electronic device when the electronic device isinstalled in the protective case. The elastomeric cover includes aplurality of side portions, each side portion adjacent to a respectiveside of the four sides of the electronic device when the electronicdevice is installed in the protective case, the plurality of sideportions forming a plurality of corners. The elastomeric cover alsoincludes a connector opening formed in the elastomeric cover foraccessing an electrical interface of the electronic device inside theelastomeric cover. The elastomeric cover also includes a front openingin the elastomeric cover that provides access to a touch screeninterface of a front of the electronic device when the electronic deviceis installed in the protective case. The elastomeric cover also includesa button actuator integrally formed in the elastomeric cover to transfera force applied on an outside surface of the elastomeric cover to acontrol button of the electronic device when the electronic device isinside the elastomeric cover. The elastomeric cover also includes aplurality of recesses formed in the corners of the elastomeric cover,wherein the plurality of recesses soften the elastomeric cover in theselected area by reducing an average density of the elastomeric cover inthe selected area of the elastomeric cover.

A protective shell for an electronic device includes a cover comprisinga single piece of an elastomeric material configured to wrap around atleast a portion of an outer surface of the electronic device and form acontinuous perimeter extending around four or more sides of theelectronic device when the electronic device is installed in theprotective shell. The elastomeric cover includes a back portion and aplurality of side portions configured to be adjacent to the installedelectronic device. The elastomeric cover includes a first aperture inthe elastomeric cover configured to provide access to a touch screeninterface of a front of the installed electronic device. The elastomericcover includes a plurality of button actuators integrally formed in theelastomeric cover, each button actuator configured to transfer a forceapplied by a user on an outside surface of the elastomeric cover to arespective control button of the installed electronic device. Theelastomeric cover also includes a plurality of ribs formed on aninterior surface of one or more of the plurality of side portions, eachrib extending from an interior upper surface adjacent to the front ofthe installed electronic device to the back portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of a protectivecovering system for an electronic device.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the bottom portion of theembodiment illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the side of the protective cushioncover that is illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective cross-sectional view of an end of the protectivecushion cover.

FIG. 5 is a schematic isometric view of another embodiment of aprotective cushion cover.

FIG. 6 is a schematic isometric diagram of another embodiment of aprotective cushion cover.

FIG. 7 is a schematic isometric diagram of another embodiment of aprotective cushion cover.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of one embodiment of a protectivecovering system 100 that utilizes a protective cushion cover 102 toprovide protection to an electronic device 104. The electronic device104 can be any type of an electronic device including various types ofMP3 players, video players, cell phones, smartphones, satellite phones,walkie-talkies, GPS navigational devices, telematics devices, pagers,monitors, personal data assistants, bar code scanners, as well asvarious types of computers including portable computers, laptopcomputers, handheld computers, ultra-mobile computers, tablet computersand various hybrid devices that combine two or more of these functions.In addition, these devices may operate with only a touch screeninterface or only a keyboard and display or other type of manual input,and are not limited to devices that include keyboards or buttons as wellas a touch screen.

The protective cushion cover 102, illustrated in FIG. 1, wraps around aportion of the outer surface of the electronic device 104. An opening inthe protective cushion cover 102 allows the screen 106 of the electronicdevice 104 to display information. The opening also allows a user toinput information into the electronic device 104, if the screen 106 is atouchscreen, or through a keypad that is accessible through the opening.The underside of the protective cushion cover 102 substantially coversthe back of the electronic device 104. The protective cushion cover 102additionally has an earpiece opening 110 that provides access to aspeaker or earpiece on the electronic device 104, and a connectoropening 112, to access a connector 114. The front opening in theprotective cushion cover 102 also allows easy access to microphone 116.The protective cushion cover 102 has raised impact zones 118, 120. Theseraised impact zones 118, 120 provide additional thickness and cushioningto protect the electronic device 104 when electronic device 104 isdropped. As disclosed below, a slim profile for the protective coveringsystem 100 is desirable to allow ease of use of the electronic device104. In that regard, portions of the protective cushion cover 102 havereduced thickness portions 122, 124, 126, 128 that would not normallycontact a surface when dropped, and thicker, raised impact portions 118,120 around the electronic device 104 that otherwise would contact asurface when dropped. For example, the back portion of the protectivecushion cover, as illustrated in FIG. 1, also has a thicker portionwhich provides adequate protection for the electronic device 104.

The protective cover 102 fits snuggly over the electronic device 104 andis held in place on the electronic device 104 as a result of thepre-shaping of the protective cover 102. The protective cover 102 ismade from a soft, pliable material, such as an elastomeric material,that is capable of stretching sufficiently to allow the electronicdevice 104 to slide easily into and be removed from the protective cover102. The protective cover 102 has a modulus of elasticity that allowsthe protective cover 102 to conform closely to the electronic device104.

In order to achieve the results of providing a protective covering thatis thin and conforms well to the electronic device, while havingthicker, softer portions in impact areas, such as corners, it wouldappear that two different types of material would be required. The useof two different types of materials, that are joined together in alayered fashion, would substantially increase the cost of a protectivecover because of the increased manufacturing costs resulting from thecomplexity of the manufacturing processes for forming protective coversthat are made from more than one material, in addition to the added costof using two different materials.

Alternatively, the embodiments disclosed herein provide the cushioningthat would otherwise be provided by a softer, thicker material, whileutilizing a single, denser material. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view200 of the bottom portion of the protective cover 102 that isillustrated in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the protective cover 102 hasa thin wall portion 202 and enlarged corner portions, such as raisedimpact zone 118. The protective cover 102 is made from a material thathas a density and modulus of elasticity that allows the protective coverto conform well to the electronic device 104 (FIG. 1), while alsoproviding thicker, raised portions in impact areas, such as the corners,that simultaneously prevent an impact with a hard surface from beingtransmitted directly to the electronic device 104, as a result of thecover being compressed in the impact area, as well as being sufficientlysoft to absorb and prevent the transfer of energy through the protectivecover 102 to the electronic device. In this manner, denser materials canprovide protection that is equivalent to the protection provided bythicker, less dense materials to protect against the transfer of animpact directly to the electronic device resulting from compression ofthe protective cover material. However, thinner, denser materials aremore advantageous for a protective cover, since they provide a slimmerprofile than thicker, less dense materials that provide equivalentimpact protection. However, denser materials more efficiently transferenergy from impacts than softer, less dense materials. In that regard,it would be advantageous to provide a cover that has the advantages ofproviding a slimmer profile and preventing impacts from beingtransferred to an enclosed electronic device as a result of compressionof the cover, while simultaneously providing the advantages of absorbingimpact energy, so that impact energy is not transferred to theelectronic device.

The protective cover 102, illustrated in FIG. 1, is stretchable and canbe made of a variety of thermoplastic materials, such as syntheticrubber, silicone, urethane or other materials that are capable ofstretching sufficiently to allow the electronic device 104 to slide intothe front opening of the protective cover 102. The modulus of elasticityof the protective cover is sufficient to allow the protective cover toeasily conform to the electronic device 102 and allow the electronicdevice 102 to snuggly fit within the protective cover 102.

The raised impact zone 118, illustrated in FIG. 2, includes a pluralityof recesses, such as recess 208. Between each adjacent recess is a rib206. Hence, a plurality of recesses and ribs are provided in the raisedimpact zones 118, 120. The wall 202 and raised impact zones 118, 120 ofthe protective cover 102 are made from the same elastomeric material.The recesses form the ribs which provide a softer, more flexible area inthe corner portions and other impact zones that are capable of absorbingimpact shocks. Of course, any portion of the protective cushion cover102 that needs impact protection can utilize raised impact zones, andthe raised impact zones are not limited to being disposed on end orcorner portions only. For example, the back and sides of the cover canhave raised impact zones, as desired. The ribs provide support for theenlarged corner portions, such as raised impact zones 118, 120, whilethe recesses and ribs allow the raised impact zones 118, 120 to compactand absorb energy from impacts. In this fashion, the enlarged cornerportions, such as raised impact zones 118, 120, are softer, even thoughthe material used for the enlarged corner portions is the same densermaterial that is used for the wall 202. The recesses, such as recess208, allow compression of the ribs, such as rib 206, into the recessportions, so as to absorb shock and energy from impacts in the impactzones 118, 120. The size of the ribs, with respect to the size of therecesses, can be varied to vary the amount of compression that occurs sothat shocks occurring in drop situations are absorbed. Button actuators210, 212 are formed in the protective cushion cover 102 that allow auser to transfer force to control buttons on the electronic device 104.The denser material, that is thinner in the wall portion 202, allows forbetter functionality insofar as controlling the buttons on theelectronic device, using the button actuators 210, 212.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view 300 of the protective cushioncover 102. As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of recesses 302, 304, 306 areformed in one end of the protective cushion cover 102. Ribs 308, 310,312 are disposed between the recesses. Again, the size and spacing ofthe recesses 302-306 determine the size and spacing of the ribs 308-312.Formation of the recesses 302-306 softens the impact zones of theprotective cushion cover 102 so that the impact zones, that are morelikely to impact a hard surface, are softer and absorb impacts with hardsurfaces. In this manner, the shock and energy of an impact is absorbedmore readily by the protective cushion cover 102. However, the recessesare not made large enough that the protective cover 102 compresses inthe area of the impact and causes the impact to be transferred directlyto the enclosed electronic device 104. Stated differently, the recessesare sufficiently small to ensure that the impact zones do not compresssufficiently to directly transfer impacts, under standard conditions,such as drop situations, to the electronic device. FIG. 3 alsoillustrates ear piece opening 110.

FIG. 4 is a perspective cross-sectional view 400 of an end portion ofthe protective cushion cover 102. As shown in FIG. 4, there are aplurality of rows of recesses 402, 404, 406, 408 that are formed in theend portion. Support structures 410, 412, 414, 416 are disposed betweenand adjacent to the rows of recesses 402-408. Ribs, such as rib 418, aredisposed between each of the recesses. Recesses 402 is formed in theenlarged end portion 118 along a curved portion that meets with athinner sidewall. The recesses, for example, may be approximately 5 mmby 4 mm by 1 mm (width, length, height) to 3 mm by 1 mm by 0.5 mm(width, length, height) and may be spaced apart to form ribs that areapproximately 1.0 mm to 0.5 mm thickness in one embodiment. Forinstance, the ribs can have a thickness of approximately 0.7 mm. Othersizes can be used depending upon the density of the material and thecushioning desired. For example, in one embodiment, square recesses areutilized that are approximately 1.5 mm square and have a depth ofapproximately 1.25 mm. In another embodiment, the recesses can have awidth, length, and height of approximately 4 mm, 2 mm, and 0.7 mm,respectively. Recesses 408 are also disposed in a corner where asidewall meets a bottom portion of the protective cushion cover 102. Inone embodiment, the thickness of the protective cover 102 in the raisedend portions 118, 120 is approximately 2 mm to 3 mm. The thickness ofthe protective cover 102 in the reduced thickness portions isapproximately 0.5 mm to 0.7 mm, including, for example, 0.6 mm. Theseare examples only and any desired thickness can be used to provide thedesired slim profile while maintaining sufficient protection againstimpacts by providing ribs and recesses that are capable of absorbingimpacts to the protective case under normal use conditions. The densityof the elastomeric material is approximately 50-60 Shore A hardness, butmay vary from 30 to 70 Shore A hardness. In one embodiment, a range of48-52 Shore A is used. The recesses 402-408 assist in absorbing impactsalong the curved corners of the protective cushion cover 102. All of therecesses 402-408 are disposed in the corner portions and the endportions of the protective cushion cover 102 where impacts are morelikely to occur, but can be included in other areas, such as the back.

Hence, the protective cushion cover 102 is capable of providing anadditional ability to absorb shocks in areas that are more likely to beimpacted by increasing the thickness of the protective cover andproviding recesses and ribs between the recesses that soften that areaand better absorb impacts. This allows a single material to be used thathas a higher density and better conformability to an enclosed electronicdevice. Thinner walls can be employed in a higher density cover whichincreases the usability of the protective covering system.

FIG. 5 is a schematic isometric view of another embodiment of aprotective cover 500. As shown in FIG. 5, protective cover 500 has areduced thickness portion 502 and a standard thickness portion 504. Thereduced thickness portion 502 is along the upper edge adjacent theopening in the protective cover 500, which allows easy access to theelectronic device that is disposed in the protective cover 500. Forexample, the reduced thickness portion 502 allows the fingers of theuser to easily access the electronic device for texting and enteringdata, such as telephone numbers and other data, into the electronicdevice. The standard thickness portion 504 extends along the sides andback of the protective cover 500. Coring 506 is disposed in the standardthickness portion 504 and effectively softens and reduces the averagedensity of the standard thickness portion 504, as a result of the ribsand recessed portions that form the coring 506. Coring 506, in oneembodiment, is approximately 1.5 mm square and has a depth ofapproximately 1.25 mm.

FIG. 6 is a schematic isometric diagram of another embodiment of aprotective cover 600. As shown in FIG. 6, a beveled portion 602 isadjacent the opening, to allow easy access to the electronic device. Areduced thickness portion 604 and reduced thickness portion 608 arethinner than the regular thickness portion 606. For example, the reducedthickness portion may be approximately 0.5 mm to 0.7 mm, while theregular thickness portion 606 may be approximately 1.5 mm to 2.0 mm.Coring 610 is disposed along various surfaces of the regular thicknessportion 606 to provide an average density and softness that is less thanthe average density and softness of the elastomeric material that formsthe protective cover 600.

FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment of a protective cover 700. As shown inFIG. 7, the protective cover 700 has a substantially uniform thickness702 across all of the different portions of the protective cover 700.Coring 704 is disposed along side portions and back portions of theprotective cover 700 and functions, as disclosed above, to absorb shocksfrom impacts and provide an average density that is less than thedensity of the protective cover 700, which allows the protective cover700 to be softer in the areas in which the coring 704 exists. The softerportions of the protective cover 700 can more readily absorb shocks fromimpact than areas without the coring 704. The coring can include aplurality of recesses. For example, the coring (e.g. 506, 610, 704) caninclude at least 200 recesses or at least 400 recesses, as shown inFIGS. 5-7.

The foregoing description has been presented for purposes ofillustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or tolimit the embodiments to the precise forms disclosed, and othermodifications and variations may be possible in light of the aboveteachings. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to bestexplain the principles of the embodiments and their practicalapplications to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilizethe embodiments and various modifications of the embodiments as suitedto the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the appendedclaims be construed to include other alternative embodiments exceptinsofar as limited by the prior art.

What is claimed is:
 1. A protective case for an electronic device, theprotective case comprising: an elastomeric cover comprising a singlepiece of elastomeric material that conforms to the electronic device andforms a continuous perimeter extending around and contacting four sidesof the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in theprotective case, the elastomeric cover including: a button actuatorintegrally formed in the elastomeric cover configured to transfer aforce applied on an outside surface of the elastomeric cover to acontrol button of the electronic device inside the elastomeric cover; afront opening in the elastomeric cover that provides access to a touchscreen interface of the electronic device when the electronic device isinstalled in the protective case; and a plurality of recesses formed inat least one interior side surface of the elastomeric cover, theinterior side surface configured to face the electronic device when theelectronic device is installed in the protective case, wherein theplurality of recesses soften the elastomeric cover in an area proximatethe plurality of recesses by reducing an average density of theelastomeric cover in the area proximate the plurality of recesses. 2.The protective case of claim 1 wherein two or more of the plurality ofrecesses are separated by one or more ribs formed in the elastomericcover.
 3. The protective case of claim 2, wherein each of the one ormore ribs extend from an interior upper surface adjacent to the front ofthe installed electronic device to an interior lower surface adjacent tothe back of the installed electronic device.
 4. The protective case ofclaim 2, wherein the elastomeric cover includes a corner formed from twoadjacent side portions, and wherein each of the one or more ribs areformed proximate the corner of the elastomeric cover.
 5. The protectivecase of claim 1, wherein the elastomeric cover includes a plurality ofside portions, each side portion adjacent to a respective side of thefour sides of the electronic device when the electronic device isinstalled in the protective case, and wherein the plurality of recessesare formed on an interior side surface of at least two adjacent sideportions of the plurality of side portions of the elastomeric cover. 6.The protective case of claim 1, wherein the elastomeric cover furtherincludes a raised impact area having a thickness that is greater than athickness of one or more other areas of the elastomeric cover, theplurality of recesses being formed in the raised impact area.
 7. Theprotective case of claim 1 wherein the elastomeric cover furtherincludes a beveled portion adjacent to the front opening.
 8. Theprotective case of claim 1 wherein the elastomeric material of theelastomeric cover has a hardness between 30 and 70 Shore A.
 9. Aprotective case for an electronic device, the protective casecomprising: an elastomeric cover comprising a single piece ofelastomeric material that conforms to the electronic device and forms acontinuous perimeter extending around four sides of the electronicdevice when the electronic device is installed in the protective case,the elastomeric cover including: a plurality of side portions, each sideportion adjacent to a respective side of the four sides of theelectronic device when the electronic device is installed in theprotective case, the plurality of side portions forming a plurality ofcorners; a connector opening formed in the elastomeric cover foraccessing an electrical interface of the electronic device inside theelastomeric cover; a front opening in the elastomeric cover thatprovides access to a touch screen interface of the electronic devicewhen the electronic device is installed in the protective case; a buttonactuator integrally formed in the elastomeric cover to transfer a forceapplied on an outside surface of the elastomeric cover to a controlbutton of the electronic device when the electronic device is inside theelastomeric cover; and a plurality of recesses formed in the corners ofthe elastomeric cover, wherein the plurality of recesses soften theelastomeric cover in an area proximate the plurality of recesses. 10.The protective case of claim 9 wherein two or more of the plurality ofrecesses are separated by one or more ribs formed in the elastomericcover.
 11. The protective case of claim 10, wherein each of the one ormore ribs extend from an interior upper surface adjacent to the front ofthe installed electronic device to an interior lower surface adjacent tothe back of the installed electronic device.
 12. The protective case ofclaim 9, wherein the elastomeric cover further comprises a secondplurality of recess formed in at least one of the side portions of theelastomeric cover.
 13. A protective shell for an electronic device, theprotective shell comprising: a cover comprising a single piece of anelastomeric material configured to wrap around at least a portion of anouter surface of the electronic device and form a perimeter extendingaround four or more sides of the electronic device when the electronicdevice is installed in the protective shell, the cover including: a backportion and a plurality of side portions configured to be adjacent tothe installed electronic device; a first aperture in the coverconfigured to provide access to a touch screen interface of a front ofthe installed electronic device; a plurality of button actuatorsintegrally formed in the cover, each button actuator configured totransfer a force applied by a user on an outside surface of the cover toa respective control button of the installed electronic device; and araised impact area having a thickness that is greater than a thicknessof one or more other areas of the cover, the raised impact areaincluding a plurality of ribs formed on an interior surface of one ormore of the plurality of side portions, each rib extending from aninterior upper surface adjacent to the front of the installed electronicdevice to the back portion.
 14. The protective shell of claim 13,wherein the elastomeric material comprises silicone, synthetic rubber,or urethane.
 15. The protective shell of claim 13 wherein theelastomeric material of the cover has a hardness between 30 and 70 ShoreA.
 16. The protective shell of claim 14, wherein the elastomericmaterial comprises silicone.
 17. The protective shell of claim 13,wherein the back portion of the cover comprises a second aperture. 18.The protective shell of claim 13, further comprising one or morerecesses formed between adjacent ribs of the plurality of ribs, theplurality of recesses softening the cover in the one or more raisedimpact areas.
 19. The protective shell of claim 13, wherein the coverincludes a corner formed from two adjacent side portions, and whereinone or more of the plurality of ribs are formed proximate the corner ofthe cover.
 20. The protective shell of claim 13, wherein the pluralityof ribs are formed on an interior side surface of at least two adjacentside portions of the plurality of side portions of the cover.